Limonium plant named ‘Zalimclou’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Limonium  plant named ‘Zalimclou’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely flowering habit; violet blue-colored flowers arranged in compact spray-type inflorescences; and good cut flower performance.

Botanical designation: Limonium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZALIMCLOU’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Limoniumplant, botanically known as Limonium hybrida, commercially used as a cutflower Limonium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zalimclou’.

The new Limonium plant is a product of a planned breeding program inRijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is tocreate new cut flower Limonium plants with uniform plant habit andunique inflorescence shape.

The new Limonium plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted bythe Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in September, 2007 of aproprietary selection of Limonium hybrida identified as code number05-0025-002, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Limonium hybrida identified as code number07-Mix-001, not patented, as the male, or seed, parent. The new Limoniumplant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single floweringplant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands inAugust, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Limonium plant since September, 2008 bytissue culture in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, TheNetherlands has shown that the unique features of this new Limoniumplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Limonium have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Zalimclou’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Zalimclou’ as a new and distinct Limoniumplant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. Violet blue-colored flowers arranged in compact spray-type        inflorescences.    -   4. Good cut flower performance.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of the femaleparent selection. Plants of the new Limonium differ primarily fromplants of the female parent selection in leaf color as plants of the newLimonium have darker green-colored leaves than plants of the femaleparent selection. In addition, leaves of plants of the new Limonium arenot lobed whereas leaves of plants of the female parent selection arelobed.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Limonium differ primarily from plants ofthe male parent selection in leaf and flower color as plants of the newLimonium have lighter green-colored leaves and lighter violetblue-colored flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Limonium can be compared to plants of Limonium hybrida‘Stastagiablue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inRijsenhout, The Netherlands, plants of the new Limonium differedprimarily from plants of ‘Stastagiablue’ in inflorescence form as plantsof ‘Stastagiablue’ had upright spike-type inflorescences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Limonium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Limonium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringstem of ‘Zalimclou’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants of the new Limonium grown during the summerin ground beds in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rijsenhout, TheNetherlands and under cultural conditions typical of Limonium cut flowerproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures rangedfrom 18° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 18°C. Plants were pinched one time and were 20 weeks old when thephotograph and description were taken. Color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Limonium hybrida ‘Zalimclou’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Limonium            hybrida identified as code number 05-0025-002, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Limonium            perezii identified as code number 07-Mix-001, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 35 days at            temperatures of 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 35 to 40 days at            temperatures of 18° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial typically grown as a cut            flower; plants mostly upright; basal rosette with about 30            flowering stems developing per year; freely flowering habit            with numerous flowers arranged in compact spray-type            panicles; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 60 cm to 100 cm.        -   Plant diameter (spread).—About 30 cm to 40 cm.        -   Flowering stems.—Length: About 50 cm to 100 cm. Diameter:            About 6 mm to 9 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm to 10 cm.            Aspect: Erect to about 30° from vertical. Strength: Strong,            rigid. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette, simple; sessile.        -   Length.—About 25 cm to 45 cm.        -   Width.—About 8 cm to 12 cm.        -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex.—Obtuse.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            137B. Fully expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close            to 137A; venation, close to 145C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single flowers arranged in            compact panicles; freely flowering habit with about 300            flowers developing per inflorescence; flowers actinomorphic            and symmetrical; flowers face mostly upright.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering response.—In The Netherlands, plants begin            flowering about three months after planting; plants flower            year round in the greenhouse.        -   Post-production longevity.—Flowers last for about three            weeks; corolla not persistent, calyx persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 10 cm to 25 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 20 cm by 35 cm.        -   Flower length.—About 1 cm to 1.3 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 8 mm to 10 mm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 4 mm to 6 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 1            mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ellipsoidal. Color: Close to N88B.        -   Corolla.—Petals per flower: Five in a single whorl, fused.            Petal length: About 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Petal width: About 3            mm to 5 mm. Petal shape: Fusiform, roughly deltoid. Petal            apex: Acute. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Petal color: When            opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N155A. Fully            opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to N155A.        -   Calyx.—Sepals per flower: Five in a single whorl, fused;            calyx cup-shaped. Sepal length: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Sepal            diameter: About 8 mm to 10 mm. Sepal shape: Deltoid. Sepal            apex: Acute. Sepal base: Fused. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; papery.            Sepal color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:            Close to N89C. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            Close to N89C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm            to 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: About 20 to 40° from stem            axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A;            towards the margins, close to N137A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm to 3.5 mm. Diameter: About            1 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: About 20 to 40° from peduncle            axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137C;            towards the margins, close to N137A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five per            flower. Filament length: About 8 mm to 11 mm. Filament            color: Close to N155A. Anther length: About 0.5 mm to 1 mm.            Anther shape: Elliptical. Anther color: Close to 155B.            Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 155B.            Gynoecium: Pistil number: Five per flower. Pistil length:            About 7 mm to 9 mm. Style length: About 6 mm to 8 mm. Style            color: Close to N155A. Stigma shape: Papillate. Stigma            color: Close to N155A. Ovary color: Close to 149D.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Limonium.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Limonium have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Limonium.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Limonium have been observed    to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Limonium plant named ‘Zalimclou’ asillustrated and described.